Acid

Chapter Fifteen: The Truth Behind Mira

It was late, the street lights filled the area with only little light but enough to help people see, as multiple cars drove by. I had just gotten home from work. It had been a long day, and this was the only part that I dreaded doing. My husband was standing in the kitchen drinking a cup of whiskey, but I could see that the bottle was almost empty. I usually stay away from him when he's like this, it's just today I wonder why he's drinking again... what set him off this time? The land line began to ring. 'Call from Rae Sudbury'. It was my sister. She never calls and especially this late. I wonder why? Mark picked up the phone aggressively and started screaming.

"You can't prevent this Rae. Tell her to get her ass home right now!" He paused "I don't give a damn!"

He hung up the phone then threw it at my brand-new cabinets. The one's that costed over a thousand dollars to ship from Egypt. The beautiful shiny peach had a smudge of black on it, while a clear crack formed. My eyes began to well up with tears as I peeked through the door. Don't go in there Mira, don't do it. Walk by slowly and quietly, make no sound and don't step on the left side, those are the old panels and will creak easily. Stay to the right, don't make a sound. My mind repeated this process in my head, telling me this would prevent the bruises and cuts I would develop if I go to him. Mark started to pace around the kitchen cussing under his whiskey smelling breath. He was enraged and this time it wasn't I who caused it, it's horrible but I smiled. It's always me but finally it someone else's fault. A car roared down the street before it pulled into my drive way. The lights illuminating everything from the open windows. I was seen. Mark ran towards the entrance and grabbed my arm forcefully. A bruise will be there tomorrow. Another to add to the collection all over my body, another I will have to explain to my friends, my neighbors, coworkers, my family. His eyes were crazy and blood shot as he threw my weak and fragile body behind him, my face smashing into the wall. Not going to work tomorrow. The front door opened, and it was Alaska and Rae. My heart sank to my stomach. What have they done! I looked to Mark my eyes wild. Please don't hurt them!

"Rae you can go" Mark said with great posture.

"Please stay!" Alaska cried out holding Rae's arm.

"I won't leave her here alone with the both of you!" Rae screamed at Mark and I.

I'm so confused what is going on? I wanted to say that but after years of being beaten I just stood behind Mark, looking as if I agreed to everything he was angry about and whatever he was to say next. I changed my expression to disappointed, my mind going blank. Alaska looked to me tears rushing down her face, if she would've spoke it would be something along the lines of 'Please help me!'. My face turned, and I looked passed her shutting her down. Oh, baby if you understood what would happen if I didn't back your father up you wouldn't look so crushed, you'd understand. Alaska only held tighter to Rae's arm and Rae just gave me the most disgusted look I've ever seen. Worse than the way Mark looks at me every day.

"Rae you don't understand! This is my name, I've worked so hard to build it up and she's tarnishing it!" He spat at my daughter "You're a disgrace to everything we stand for! Everything I built! You're ruining it all"

"I'm sorry!" Alaska cried out hysterically.

"If you're sorry you will march up to your room and we'll go to the clinic tomorrow and have this situation handled!"

"You can't demand her to do that Mark! She wants to keep it!" Rae yelled back.

Keep what? Maybe if I'm silent it'll become clearer. I don't want to shift the anger to me anyways... no matter how much I want to stand up to him for my daughter. I just can't. I bit my tongue before it would lash out and only make the situation worse.

"You will take care of it or I will take care of it for you!" He yelled.

"If you don't want to deal with it than just let her move in with me! I'll take care of her!" Rae said.

"No, it will only tarnish my name more! What do you think people are going to think if she moves to the slums with you and has that thing! It will ruin me!" Mark screamed.

Please Rae take her away from here, she'll be safer with you! I wanted to scream those words repeatedly, but as always silence was my best option. Don't fight it, don't move, don't speak. Those words were my sanctuary.

"I've had enough of this!" Mark screamed.

He became unhinged and pushed forward with all his strength, striking Alaska in the stomach. She fell to the ground winded, struggling to breath but the only area she held was her lower belly. Rae attacked Mark, throwing fists and screaming before she pushed him into the wall. His shoulders went straight through and the wall had his back engraved into it. I froze standing still watching my daughter in pain, screaming and crying, as if mourning for someone. Mark being so drunk slipped to the floor in pain, as Rae bumped straight into me then going past and picking up Alaska, she said soothing words and carried her to the front door before whipping around and screaming.

"You're both monsters!" She began to cry as well "That's your grandchild in there!"

She carried her to her car and sped off in the other direction that leads to where the hospital is. Mark got up and slammed the front door before he grabbed my shoulders and held my body in the air.

"If you ever speak to either of them ever again... I will punish you and this time I won't stop!"

He barked at me as tears began to form in my eyes. Throwing me to the ground he spoke again. "If anyone asks she became violent and ran off with her aunt" He said before walking by the wall looking at it then turn back to me "And for god sake's call someone for that!".

After that night I texted my sister and told her to look after my daughter, she was disgusted by me, but she promised she would. I didn't hear from either of them for 7 months. Whenever my neighbors brought up Alaska I told them exactly what Mark told me to say, eventually getting rewards. The abuse stopped for a while and he finally became nicer towards me and life. I saw the changes in him and began to wonder if I had made the right decision. Rae texted me sometime in between the 7-month range saying Alaska gave birth early due to complications from the incident with Mark. I had a granddaughter, named Poppy. She was what I often spent my time wondering about. I made the wrong decision.